System and process for picturing the original appearance of an archaeological finding

ABSTRACT

The total original appearance of an archaeological finding may be reconstructed by an assembly of superposable pictures wherein one sheet carries only those portions of the first sheet believed to be original, the remaining portions of the sheet comprising transparent neutral zones. A second sheet carries the reconstructed appearance of those portions missing from the first sheet, corresponding to the neutral zones of the first sheet, which portions are believed to be original. The composite picture may be viewed directly or by projection.

United States Patent [191;

Equini [541 SYSTEM AND PROCESS FOR PIC; .1'1NG THE ORIGINAL APPEARANCE or AN ARCHAEOLOGICAL FINDING [76] Inventor: Arrigo Equini, Via del Ghirlandaio 39, Rome, Italy 22 Filed: June 6, 1972 21 Appl. No.: 260,098

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data June 9, 1971 Italy 509l2/7l [52] US. Cl 353/121, 353/120, 355/79 [51] Int. Cl. G03) 21/00 [58] Field of Search 353/30, 37, 120, l21;

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Brigham 355/79 Schulze 355/79 June 18, 1974 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 884,692 12/1961 Great Britain 355/79 Primary Examiner-Louis R. Prince Assistant ExaminerA. Jason Mirabito Attorney, Agent, or Firm-DeLio and Montgomery ABSTRACT The total original appearance of an archaeological finding may be reconstructed by an assembly of superposable pictures wherein one sheet carries only those portions of the first sheet believed to be original, the remaining portions of the sheet comprising transparent neutral zones. A second sheet carries the reconstructed appearance of those portions missing from the first sheet, corresponding to the neutral zones of the first sheet, which portions are believed to be original. The composite picture may be viewed directly or by projection.

6 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures v SYSTEM'AND PROCESS FOR PICTURING THE ORIGINAL APPEARANCE OF AN ARCIIAEOLOGICAL FINDING The present invention refers to pictures capable of being projected or observed directly in combination, and to to the process for their reproduction, and it is particularly applicable to pictures reproducing archaeological findings in the present state and in their original state, faithfully reconstructed.

An object of the invention is to provide a new and improved pictorial comparison between the present appearance of an archaeological finding and the reconstructed appearance of the finding in its original state.

Another object is to provide a new and improved pictorial representation of those portions only of an archaeological finding which do not presently exist but which are believed to have been part of the original or earlier appearance of the finding.

Still another object is to provide a new and improved process for reproducing the original or earlier appearance of an archaeological finding so that the present and original appearances can be conveniently compared by direct viewing or by projection.

These and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be readily apparent from the following specification.

In summary outline, the foregoing and other objects of the invention are achieved by an assembly of superposable pictures. One sheet of the assembly carries only those portions of the first sheet believed to be original, the remaining portions of the sheet comprising transparent neutral zones. A second sheet carries the reconstructed appearance of those portions missing from the first sheet, corresponding to the neutral zones of the first sheet, which portions are believed to be original. The composite picture may be viewed directly or by projection.

The projection of the pictures can occur by means of projectors with direct or indirect light sources.

The pictures to be projected are reproduced on sheets of any material which permits printing and which has characteristics of absolute transparence, such as polyvinyl triacetate, polyvinyl chloride, celluloid, etc.

In applications of the invention relating to archeological findings, such pictures are preferably in groups of three. For projection each group of pictures is supported alone or together with other groups by a frame preferably of rigid and of light weight material having an aperture of a form and size substantially equal to that of the pictures to be projected. The frame permits projecting one or more pictures simultaneously when inserted in a known form of projector device.

The present invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the annexed drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 shows a sheet on which is reproduced the picture of an archaeological monument or find as it can be seen in the present state;

FIG. 2 represents a sheet on which the picture of the same find as in FIG. 1 is reproduced and in which are formed by a suitable technique transparent colorless zones for the superposed projection or viewing of the pictures;

FIG. 3 represents a sheet on which is reproduced the picture of the faithful reconstruction of the parts which completed the find and which have been destroyed in the course of time;

FIG. 4 shows the appearance of the combined picture of the sheets of FIGS. 2 and 3 after their superposition for projection or viewing; and

FIG. 5 shows on a reduced scale a form of execution of a frame on which can be mounted one or more groups of pictures for their separate or superposed projection.

Typically each group is composed of three sheets of transparent material, each sheet, or at least one of them, constituting substantially a diapositive.

On the first sheet 10, FIG. I, there has been suitably reproduced the photograph of the find in the state as it is now found, namely with mutilated weathered or missing parts, and altered in its appearance by vegetation or by morphological changes of the surrounding landscape which have occurred subsequently.

On the second sheet 11, FIG. 2, the actual find as such has been isolated from the surrounding landscape and from the various elements not belonging to it by means of neutral colorless zones of the transparent material constituting the support sheet, and these zones 13 have exactly the same configuration as the elements constituting the reconstruction of said missing parts, which are reproduced, by a suitable technique, on the third sheet 12, FIG. 3.

The sheet 12, all around the picture of the reconstructed parts, is completely transparent and colorless, and the picture is placed on the colorless background so that, exactly superposing sheets 11 and 12 for projection, it coincides with the transparent zones of sheet 11.

Each sheet has a generally rectangular cornice or border of any color whose inner edge corresponds to the inner edge of the aperture of the frame.

To permit the exact superposition of sheets 11 and 12, they are provided on their lower edges with corresponding holes 14 which will be fitted on the respective index tabs or pins 15 carried in proper position by the support frame 16 illustrated in FIG. 5.

Sheet 10, which must normally be projected by itself, does not have holes or other elements for the exact superposition on other pictures and is equipped with suitable centering means such as notches 17 corresponding to the centering means such as the notches 18 of frame 16. The notches 17, though allowing sheet 10 to be centered exactly with respect to the frame for projection, permit its easy removal for the subsequent projection of sheets 11 and 12, independently of each other or in superposition.

Sheets 11 and 12 are removably connected to frame 16 by means of a spiral 19, of suitable material, which serves to join the upper edge 20 of the frame to the upper edges 21 and 22, respectively, of the sheets 11 and 12 by means of corresponding slits 23 made therein so that the sheets can rotate on the frame. As a variant, sheet 10 also may be provided with slits 23 and joined to the other two by means of the spiral 19.

As can be seen in FIG. 5, the frame 16 is composed essentially of two similar parts 24 and 25, each part having the form of a cornice or border which defines a generally rectangular aperture 26, which parts are hinged by means of the spiral 19 on their upper edges 20.

Part 24 carries on its lower edge centering means such as the tabs or pins which serve to make the sheets 11 and 12 correspond exactly, for projection in superpostion. These two small indexing pins 15 are directed inwardly and are placed in such position that when the holes 14 are threaded onto them, the sheets 11 and 12 are centered relative to the two parts 24 and of the frame 16 so that the picture to be projected corresponds to the generally rectangular apertures 26. On the lower edge of part 25 of the frame are provided two holes 27, in a position corresponding to that of holes 14 and hence that of the indexing pins 15, so that the two'parts 24 and25 of the frame can be joined in fixed position to hold the sheets 11 and 12 in place between them in exact superposition.

On the left edge of the parts 24 and 25 of the frame are positioned the notches 18 which, together with the notches 17 formed on sheet 10, serve to center with respect to them for projection the sheet on which is shown the archaeological find in the state in which it is at present.

The two notches 17 aregenerally semicircular and may be positioned on the left edge of sheet 10, so as to thread onto counter-notches 18, also of generally semicircular form, carried on the left edges of the parts 24 and 25, so as to center the picture reproduced on sheet 10 with respect'to the apertures 26.

Although the present invention has been illustrated in a form suitable for projection by projectors with direct or indirect light source, it is evident that it applies also in the case of pictures not intended to be projected but formed so as to permit direct viewing.

It will be understood that the term archaeological find is intended to indicate not only remains or ruins of monuments or the like, but also finds of smaller size such as statues, fresco, mosaics, utensils, coins, etc., of interset from the archaeological point of view.

The process for the formation of pictures according to the present invention, described before, consists chiefly of the following steps.

First, the photographed find is photographsed under an angle such as to have a perspective view thereof with easily identifiable vanishing points, and an enlargement of such photograph is made, for example of 50 X 60 cm. size. On such an enlarged photograph there is superposed a sheet of tracing paper on which a designer fills in in India ink the find itself under the direction of experts who, on the basis of special studies, have reconstructed the incomplete parts or those carried away. One thus obtains a photograph exactly reproducing, in larger size, the sheet 10 (FIG. 1) and a sheet of tracing paper on which are drawn in India ink the parts whic appear on sheet 12.

In the next stage, the tracing paper, on which have been drawn the removed or incomplete parts, is elaborated with a pictorial technique on a special sheet of transparent material on which the parts drawn in ink are depicted with the same colors as the removed or incomplete parts of the find. Then this latter sheet is photographed in color, printing the picture in the desired format on a sheet of perfectly transparent material, for example a sheet of polyvinyl triacetate, polyvinyl chloride, celluloid etc. Such a sheet corresponds to the sheet illustrated in FIG. 3.

On the back of the sheet on which there have been depicted in color the incomplete or removed parts of the archaeological find there is then traced the outline of the said parts. The outline is transferred to the photograph of the find in the present state, in such a way that they coincide exactly. The picture of the find on which the contour of its removed or incomplete parts has been superposed is then transferred onto a suitable sheet of transparent material and from that sheet are then removed by a special technique, for example by photoincision, all the inner parts of said contour so as to obtain transparent neutral zones, of a configuration identical with that of the removed or incomplete parts of the find.

Lastly, the sheet thus treated is photographed or printed in the desired size,obtaining a picture similar to that reproduced on sheet 11 (FIG. 2) in which the whole of the parts printed on sheet 12 (FIG. 3) appears as a complex of transparent zones. By then superposing the two sheets 11 and 12, the parts reproduced on sheet 12 will coincide with the complex of transparent zones of sheet 11. Consequently, one gets a clear picture of the archaeological find in its orginal state, as illustrated for example in FIG. 4, so that it can be projected or observed directly.

It is evident that the use of the process and of the pictures according to the present invention is not limited to illustrations of archaeological findings, but their application extends to all cases where it is necessary to form pictures to be projected or to be observed in superposition to obtain a clear combined picture thereof.

What is claimed is:

1. A method of pictorially reconstructing and representing an archaeological finding in its original state, said method comprising:

a. forming a first transparency showing an archaeological finding in its present state;

b. superimposing on the first transparency a second transparency depicting only the portions of the finding believed to be missing or altered in the first transparency;

c. removing from the first transparency the depictions underlying the portions depicted in said first transparency, to form a third transparency having transparent neutral zones in place of said underlying depictions, whereby said second transparency may be superposed on said third transparency to form a composite transparency wherein said portions of said second transparency depicting missing or altered portions fill in said transparent neutral zones; and

d. viewing the said composite transparency by projected or reflected light;

wherein said first transparency is formed by photographing the archaeological finding at an angle effective to provide a perspective photographic view with easily identifiable vanishing points;

wherein said second transparency is formed by superposing a sheet of tracing paper on said photographic view, depicting on said sheet said missing or altered portions, and reproducing said portions on a transparent sheet; and

wherein said third transparency is formed by tracing the contour of said missing or altered portions on the back of said transparent sheet, superposing said contour on said first transparency so that said contour outlines portions in said first transparency which are believed to lack originality, forming a new transparency of said contour superposed on said photographic view, removing from said new transparency all portions of said photographic view within said contour, and forming a transparency of the resultant view. 2. A method as in claim 1 wherein said photographic view and said missing or altered portions are in color.

3. A method as in claim 1 wherein said transparencies are of polyvinyl triacetate.

4. A method as in claim 1 wherein said transparencies are of polyvinyl chloride,

5. A method as in claim 1 wherein said transparencies are of celluloid.

6. A method of forming a group of pictures for pictorially reconstructing and representing an archaeological finding in its original state, said method comprismg:

a. photographing the archaeological finding under such an angle as to obtain a perspective view with easily identifiable vanishing points;

b. superposing on the resulting first photograph a sheet of tracing paper and completing the finding on said sheet by designing in India ink the portions of the finding believed to be missing or altered in said photograph;

c. elaborating with a pictorial technique on a sheet of transparent material said portions designed in India ink so as to reproduce said portions in the same colors as those of the missing or altered portions;

d. photographing in color the last-mentioned sheet and printing the resulting colored picture in a given size on a sheet of a suitable transparent material;

e. tracing on the back of this latter sheet the contour of said missing or altered portions and transferring that contour onto said first photograph to form a composite wherein the findings depicted coincide exactly;

f. printing on a sheet of suitable transparent material the picture of the finding as depicted by said composite;

g. removing from that sheet all the portions inside the contour so as to obtain a complex of transparent neutral zones of configuration identical to that of the missing or altered portions; and

h. photographing and printing the picture thus obtained on a sheet of suitable transparent material so that, by superposing on the latter the sheet on which the photographic picture of the missing or altered portions is reproduced in colors, on transparent ground, such portions will coincide with said complex of transparent zones so as to obtain a clear picture of the archaeological finding in its original state which can be projected or observed directly. 

1. A method of pictorially reconstructing and representing an archaeological finding in its original state, said method comprising: a. forming a first transparency showing an archaeological finding in its present state; b. superimposing on the first transparency a second transparency depicting only the portions of the finding believed to be missing or altered in the first transparency; c. removing from the first transparency the depictions underlying the portions depicted in said first transparency, to form a third transparency having transparent neutral zones in place of said underlying depictions, whereby said second transparency may be superposed on said third transparency to form a composite transparency wherein said portions of said second transparency depicting missing or altered portions fill in said transparent neutral zones; and d. viewing the said composite transparency by projected or reflected light; wherein said first transparency is formed by photographing the archaeological finding at an angle effective to provide a perspective photographic view with easily identifiable vanishing points; wherein said second transparency is formed by superposing a sheet of tracing paper on said photographic view, depicting on said sheet said missing or altered portions, and reproducing said portions on a transparent sheet; and wherein said third transparency is formed by tracing the contour of said missing or altered portions on the back of said transparent sheet, superposing said contour on said first transparency so that said contour outlines portions in said first transparency which are believed to lack originality, forming a new transparency of said contour superposed on said photographic view, removing from said new transparency all portions of said photographic view within said contour, and forming a transparency of the resultant view.
 2. A method as in claim 1 wherein said photographic view and said missing or altered portions are in color.
 3. A method as in claim 1 wherein said transparencies are of polyvinyl triacetate.
 4. A method as in claim 1 wherein said transparencies are of polyvinyl chloride.
 5. A method as in claim 1 wherein said transparencies are of celluloid.
 6. A method of forming a group of pictures for pictorially reconstructing and representing an archaeological finding in its original state, said method comprising: a. photographing the archaeological finding under such an angle as to obtain a perspective view with easily identifiable vanishing points; b. superposing on the resulting first photograph a sheet of tracing paper and completing the finding on said sheet by designing in India ink the portions of the finding believed to be missing or altered in said photograph; c. elaborating with a pictorial technique on a sheet of transparent material said portions designed in India ink so as to reproduce said portions in the same colors as those of the missing or altered portions; d. photographing in color the last-mentioned sheet and printing the resulting colored picture in a given size on a sheet of a suitable transparent material; e. tracing on the back of this latter sheet the contour of said missing or altered portions and transferring that contour onto said first photograph to form a composite wherein the findings depicted coincide exactly; f. printing on a sheet of suitable transparent material the picture of the finding as depicted by said composite; g. removing from that sheet all the portions inside the contoUr so as to obtain a complex of transparent neutral zones of configuration identical to that of the missing or altered portions; and h. photographing and printing the picture thus obtained on a sheet of suitable transparent material so that, by superposing on the latter the sheet on which the photographic picture of the missing or altered portions is reproduced in colors, on transparent ground, such portions will coincide with said complex of transparent zones so as to obtain a clear picture of the archaeological finding in its original state which can be projected or observed directly. 